U.S. lawmakers addressed a letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum over concerns about a possible national security threat from Chinese vehicles in Mexico, according to a press release on Tuesday.

Nearly two dozen Democrats from Congress, led by Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, wrote a letter to Sheinbaum urging her to look into concerns over internet-connected vehicles produced in Mexico by Chinese automakers. The lawmakers also expressed concerns that China will enter the U.S. market through Mexico, according to a press release on Tuesday.

The lawmakers requested that Sheinbaum establish a national security review process and send a delegation to meet with U.S. officials to discuss the matter by early 2025, according to the letter.

“As you prepare to take office, we ask that you quickly turn your attention to a new and growing issue: the national security risks to both our nations from the widespread presence of ‘connected’ vehicles built by companies with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” the lawmakers said in their letter.

Sheinbaum was elected as the first ever female president of Mexico in June. She was officially sworn in as Mexico’s president on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

“We believe that this body of data, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, is a national security threat,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “These vehicles can gather private, personal data on individuals, gather intelligence valuable to a potential adversary like China, and can even launch cyber attacks against critical infrastructure systems. Indeed, China itself recognizes the sensitive capabilities of connected vehicles and has taken actions to restrict the operation of foreign vehicles in China accordingly.”

The Department of Commerce proposed a ban on the use of Russian and Chinese software for internet-connected vehicles in America on Sept. 23. Slotkin applauded the proposed restrictions on Chinese cars, according to a Sept. 26 op-ed published by The Detroit News.

“This technology can make our ride safer and more enjoyable, but it can also give bad actors — including potential adversaries like the Chinese Communist party — access to our personal data, important videos, mapping of our key infrastructure, and even control of a vehicle,” Slotkin wrote in the op-ed.

The Biden-Harris administration has been pushing for American automakers to transition to electric vehicles (EVs), which is a market China has challenged the U.S. in. The administration announced several billion dollars in funding for EV batteries on Sept. 20 in the hopes to boost U.S. manufacturing and compete with China. A Chinese-owned EV company donated thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns throughout the past nine years.

Concerns over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeting U.S. institutions have grown in recent years. Some allies of former president and Republican presidential nominee D​_onald Trump introduced policy plans Monday concerning how American institutions should address threats from the CCP. Some lawmakers have expressed concerns over Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s alleged ties to Beijing

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